File Photo (Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum/CFJC Today)

By Victor Kaisar

Cooking Marathon

Kamloops woman restarts attempt to break Guinness World Record for longest cooking marathon

Aug 8, 2025 | 5:02 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops woman has restarted her attempt to break the world record for longest cooking marathon after an unexpected medical emergency.

Zainab Oladipo, who owns Afrofusion on Victoria Street downtown, had to put her previous record attempt on hold around 86 hours into her marathon cooking session.

“During one of my scheduled breaks I had an unexpected reaction to routine medication,” Oladipo said in an Instagram post. “It required a quick hospital visit but thankfully I was assessed, treated and cleared in no time, and I have since made a full recovery.”

Oladipo said officials from Guinness World Records have allowed her to restart her record attempt, adding she plans to come back “stronger than ever.”

“We are not giving up and I still need you,” Oladipo said. “You can come volunteer, witness, show up, report, clap, hug or just eat. Let’s make history together.”

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Oladipo resumed cooking on Thursday (Aug. 7) this week and she still plans to churn out her fare for 300 hours. If she reaches that mark, it would more than double the current record of 140 hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds held by Evette Quoibia, a Liberian-Australian chef.

A native of Nigeria, Oladipo aims to cook 15,000 dishes from 195 countries and plans to distribute the food to help feed the homeless. Food will also be available to anyone for free or by donation with proceeds going to help 10 families in need — five in Canada and five in Nigeria.

“I feel like it’s going to be a win for Kamloops, a win for the homeless and a win for people who can’t afford food, but also for people who can afford it,” Oladipo previously told CFJC. “It had a lot of positive ideas and I felt standing for 300 hours would be worth it.”

Those wishing to check on Oladipo’s progress can do so via a livestream on the Ninth Lab YouTube page here.